Fertility Treatment Bans in Europe — Are They Fair?

PUBLISHED ON 04/16/2012

Europe’s tough fertility treatment rules have been getting a lot of buzz lately. In the U.S., it’s pretty easy for couples and single women to get IVF or artificial insemination. But according to CBS News, lesbian couples and single women aren’t allowed to get IVF in France and Italy. Austria and Italy ban sperm and egg donations, and Germany and Norway ban donating eggs only. Couples in Sweden have to prove that they’ve been in a stable relationship for about a year in order to get fertility treatments and in almost every country in Europe, couples can’t hire a surrogate.

Many experts both in Europe and the U.S. believe these restrictions are outdated and prejudiced. The reasons for these bans?_ CBS News_ reports that some countries believe it creates “unnatural” relationships between the donor, parents and children. For other countries, there are religious and cultural concerns behind these laws.

What do you think of these restrictions? Do you think these laws should be updated?